Protection of the rights of consumers of financial services: topical issues of countering misseling

Abstract

In this article, the author analyzes the problems of protecting the rights of consumers of financial services. The author examines the current issues of consumer protection of financial services, as well as ways to counteract such a phenomenon as "misseling". The article examines this concept in detail as one of the types of unfair sales of financial services. Detailed concrete examples of unfair sales practices are described, including the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on the emergence of new unfair sales practices. The role of the Bank of Russia as a regulator of the financial services market is analyzed. In addition, the article provides examples of legislative initiatives aimed at protecting consumers of financial services from misseling and draws conclusions about the directions of development of activities to counteract misseling and protect the rights of consumers of financial services, as well as identifies key recommendations to consumers regarding the issue of countering misseling and protecting their rights. At the end of the article, the author formulated conclusions about the impact of misseling on the level of public confidence in the banking sector.